


From Darkness, Light

by XProSkeith



Category: Persona Series, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Lives, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergent, Crossover, Gen, Persona/Teen Wolf Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-17 17:17:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1396099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XProSkeith/pseuds/XProSkeith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story takes lore, ideas, and aspects of the Persona series of games from ATLUS and integrates them into Teen Wolf. The events here happen starting at the end of The Fox and The Wolf and into De-Void. </p><p>Scott and Lydia are able to break through to Stiles, but now something sinister still lurks in the dark. Stiles must face his darker side and learn to use the power of a persona if they are to defeat the nogitsune and bring an end to this nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Darkness, Light

**Author's Note:**

> Since I'm not fully confident in my ability to describe the personas used in this fic, here are some reference links:
> 
> Skeith: http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060902021353/dothack/images/0/0f/Skeith2ndForm.jpg
> 
> Izunagi No Okami: http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131012094135/cardfight/images/f/f6/Izanagi_no_okami_by_izanagi_0xxi-d5wcw5a.png
> 
> I hope these are helpful to you and that you enjoy this story. Thanks for reading!

Scott and Kira had just made it outside of the school after the history lesson from Kira's parents. They knew they had to hurry to the loft. They were running towards Scott's dirt bike when Scott's phone started ringing. He froze. It couldn't be. Not after all this time.

"What's wrong?" asked Kira, confused as to why he had stopped.

"That ringtone..." Scott replied, trailing off as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"What? What's so special about it?"

"There's only one person who I ever assigned that ringtone to. And that person is someone who I haven't spoken to or seen in a long time."

"Who is it?"

Scott looked at his phone, confirming what he already knew to be true before he said, "It's Michael."

Scott answered the phone and a familiar voice greeted him.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Scott?" asked Michael.

"Yeah, but why now? Why after seven years would you call me now?" replied Scott, a little exasperated.

"Because Stiles is in danger and I may be the only one who can help him through what's to come."

"If you're really here to help, then where are you?"

"You should know that by now, Scott. Haven't you realized you're hearing my voice twice?"

Scott stopped for a second. He realized that he had been. It was his werewolf hearing. That meant that Michael was nearby.

"See you in a second," said Michael as he hung up.

Scott spun around to face the entrance of the school. He'd heard the voice from over there. Sure enough, a figure walked around the corner of the building. Scott recognized him immediately. It had been several years and Michael had grown and changed some physically, but it was still unmistakably him. He was a few inches shy of six feet tall and had a wide and muscular build. He wore dark blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt. A black leather double-wrap bracelet hung around his left wrist. There was an odd looking silver gun holstered at his right hip and a katana in a black sheath hung at his left hip. His short blonde hair reflected the late afternoon sunlight, making it appear to glow. He looked at Scott with his ice blue eyes and smiled sheepishly while approaching him.

Scott started walking towards him. For a second, Kira thought Scott was going to punch him, but when they reached each other, the two of them embraced each other tightly. Kira was surprised, but happy that she wasn't going to have to break up a fight.

"It's good to see you again," said Scott.

"Same to you, buddy," replied Michael. "It's been far too long."

"You could have called or sent a message  or something, you know. To let us know you were alive."

"I... Had my reasons, but I'm sorry."

The two finally separated before Scott continued.

"I'm sure you did," Scott said. "You said something about helping Stiles. What do you have in mind?"

Michael's face grew dark and serious, which surprised Scott because he'd never been like that before.

"He's on the cusp of a dangerous encounter. The nogitsune is preying in his dark side, the side of himself that he hides from the world. We're going to have to help him through it."

"We should hurry then."

Michael just nodded and the trio hurried to their vehicles. Michael climbed into his car and Scott and Kira climbed onto Scott's motorcycle. Without any further delay, they hurried to Derek's loft. When they finally arrived at the loft, Stiles was already gone. It had grown late, so everyone decided to resume the search tomorrow.

"Michael, why don't you crash at my house tonight?" said Scott. "I'm sure my mom would like to see you again. Also, you could explain some things to us."

"Are you sure?" asked Michael, looking at Kira.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. We have a pretty comfortable couch."

Michael smirked and replied, "Don't worry about that. I've slept in far worse places. I can literally sleep anywhere. But, yeah, I'll come. I do owe you an explanation. But it might be best to wait til tomorrow. After all, we're all tired and if we're going to face the nogitsune tomorrow, we'll need our rest."

Scott nodded in agreement and they headed for Scott's house. When they were arrived, they were greeted by Melissa.

"Hey, guys. Kira will be staying tonight?" asked Melissa.

"Yeah," replied Scott as Kira blushed and looked away. "And one other person."

As he said that, Michael stepped through the doorway and into view. The surprise on Melissa's face was apparent.

"Hey, Ms. McCall," said Michael. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Yeah. Why are you back now though?" she said.

"He's here to help Stiles," replied Scott.

"Really? How?" asked Melissa.

"He says Stiles is about to go through something that he'll have to help with," answered Scott.

"Guys, I promise I will explain everything later including why I left and what I've been doing," Michael said. "So I'm asking you to trust me for now. But I think we all need some rest."

Melissa could tell they were all tired. She was sure none of them, especially Scott, had slept well in a long time. In spite of Michael's recent arrival, she could tell he was weary as well. She smiled warmly at them and walked to Michael and gave him a hug. Michael was mildly surprised, but he returned it.

"Of course," Melissa said. "Welcome back, Michael. It really is good to see you again."

"Thanks, Mrs. McCall," Michael said. "I never meant to be gone this long."

They separated and she said, "I know. But that's life, huh? Well, let's get you all to bed."

Everyone nodded and went to bed. Kira went ahead to Scott's room while Michael settled in on the couch, unbuckling his gun and sword. Scott looked at him from the base of the stairs.

"Good night, man," Scott said with a smile.

Michael turned his head to look at Scott, smiled back, and replied, "Thanks. See you in the morning. Don't worry, Scott. He'll be fine. I promise."

Scott nodded as Michael laid down on the couch. As he did, he curled up with his sword and his gun right next to him. He seemed relaxed and comfortable, but it was obvious that in an instant he would be ready to fight. Scott looked at him with a worried expression, wondering what could have made his old friend be like that, but he said nothing because it looked like Michael had already drifted to sleep. He went to join Kira in his room.

The next morning, they all woke up and were greeted by a wonderful breakfast cooked by Melissa. It was a weekend, so they were able to sort of relax. When they had finished, Michael looked at Kira, glancing at her katana.

"Kira, may I make a request?" asked Michael.

"Um, sure," she said, sounding slightly confused.

"Would you spar with me? I'm curious about your level of skill with a sword."

"Are you serious?" asked Scott.

"Of course I am," he replied. "There's no reason to worry. I practiced with real swords when I was learning. I know how to be safe in a sparring match."

"Alright, let's do it," replied Kira. "I could use some practice.

Scott looked at Kira with worry as Michael smiled.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Scott.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be fine," replied Kira.

The three of them stepped into the back yard so they'd have plenty of room. As they were walking, Scott noticed the design on the back of Michael's shirt. It was pretty big and distinct, so he wasn't sure how he missed it last night, but it was probably due to everything going on that night. The back of Michael's shirt bore a green three-pronged symbol that appeared to be the head of a dragon, the head of a tiger, and a phoenix drawn in a tribal art style and arranged in an inverted triangle. The three images connected ever so slightly. The design covered the entire back of his shirt.

"Hey, Michael," said Scott. "That's a pretty cool design on your shirt. I just noticed it."

Michael stopped for a moment, surprising Scott, but he quickly said, "Thanks, man. I like it a lot, too."

"Does it mean something?" asked Scott.

"Yeah," replied Michael, continuing after a pause. "I'll explain it later. Sorry."

Scott shrugged and said, "No rush. I was just curious."

Michael turned his head to Scott, smiling, and said, "Thanks. It is a pretty sick design though."

Scott smiled back, glad the moment of tense awkwardness was over and replied, "Yeah it is!"

Michael and Kira moved to face each other. Michael bowed to Kira who quickly, and a bit awkwardly, bowed back. Michael then drew his sword, a standard length katana with a golden design etched into the blade. Kira followed suit and drew her blade as well, a crackle of energy running down it as she did so. The two of them took fighting stances, standing several feet from each other to start.

"Ready?" asked Scott as the two nodded at him. "Okay, three, two, one, go!"

In an instant, Michael was in front of Kira, striking downward at her. Kira was surprised, but was able to raise her blade to block. She was surprised by the force behind the hit. Michael smirked and slashed at her right flank and then her left. Kira was able to successfully block both. After she had, Michael hopped back and adopted a defensive stance. He was watching her.

Kira took the offensive and moved towards him, but she didn't run. When she was close, she faked going to the right, but went left to strike at Michael's back. Her blade clashed with his as he spun in a sidestep to avoid and deflect her blade. When he did, he also knocked her off balance, breaking her stance. Kira knew her mistake immediately and allowed herself to fall forward into a roll, narrowly missing Michael's counter strike. When she stopped rolling, she was immediately back on her feet and facing Michael once again.

She noticed that Michael had dropped his sword at a diagonal toward the ground. She knew what was coming. He was preparing for a powerful upward slash. As soon as she  had thought this, he charged, surprising her again with his speed, but she knew where the attack was going. She moved her blade to block his, placing her left hand on the flat of the blade for extra support. Their blades connected with a loud crack of metal on metal and a spark of electricity sparked from them. The attack was very strong, but Kira was able to withstand it.

Michael and Kira then began to exchange a flurry of sword strikes. Scott just stared in awe. They seemed evenly matched, both making strikes while effectively blocking the other's strikes. Kira went in to strike at Michael's head, but he did something unexpected. He ducked to the side and dropped forward onto one knee. Kira didn't have time to react as she was still in mid-swing. Michael thrust his sword towards her chest. Kira's eyes grew wide, but the tip of the blade stopped just before touching her shirt.

"I told you I had perfect control," Michael said, retracting his blade and then sheathing it as he stood. "You're very skilled, though, Kira. You're the first person in a long time to push me that far. Thank you."

Kira sheathed her blade, bowing to Michael again as he did to her, and said, "Thanks. That was an intense match. I think I learned some things."

Michael smiled and said, "Good! You can always learn more."

Scott walked over to them, putting his phone away. Michael and Kira looked at him.

"What's wrong?" asked Kira.

"Lydia found Stiles," said Scott. "They're bringing him here."

Michael tensed a bit and said, "We need to be ready."

Scott and Kira nodded and they went inside, informing Melissa of what was coming. Shortly, Lydia and Aiden arrived, carrying a wounded and unconscious Stiles. Melissa quickly cleaned and dressed the enormous cut in Stiles' abdomen while Scott called Deaton. By the time Melissa had finished, Deaton had arrived. Deaton examined the wound and explained that it seemed to be healing on its own because of the nogitsune. Deaton administered some kanima venom to the nogitsune as he began to wake up. Since he was causing such a fuss, Deaton placed some duct tape over his mouth and then went to the kitchen to speak to Scott, Lydia, and Michael. He passed by Michael before reaching the kitchen. He stopped after noticing the silver gun holstered to Michael's hip.

"I see," said Deaton.

Michael cocked an eyebrow at Deaton and said, "So you know what this is then?"

Deaton nodded and said, "Yes, I do."

"I figured you would. Keep it quiet for now though. I'll explain everything to them soon. I'm still their friend even if it has been a long time."

"I will. I know you wouldn't come back for no reason."

With that, they entered the kitchen where Deaton explained the situation about Stiles and the nogitsune. Scott looked crushed at the idea of having to bite his best friend, giving him the very thing he considered to be a curse, but if it meant saving him, he'd do it. Scott suggested calling Derek for help, but Lydia countered saying perhaps they should try someone else, Peter.

Peter explained that they would need to go into Stiles' mind and free him from the nogitsune's control and he told Scott how he could use his claws to connect the three of them. He also said that someone would have to go with him. Lydia agreed to go, but Michael spoke up as well.

"I need to go along, too," said Michael.

"Well, I hate to tell you, but Scott only has two sets of claws," said Peter.

"That won't be an issue. I should be able to follow them by holding Lydia and Stiles' hands. It'll complete the circuit so to speak."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose that could work, but there's no guarantee."

"Trust me, it'll work."

Peter shrugged and said, "You're welcome to try whatever you like."

Scott took his position behind Lydia and Stiles as Michael sat in front of the three of them. He took Stiles and Lydia's hands and pricked their fingers as well as his own before holding them tightly. When he was done, he nodded at Scott who stuck his claws into the back of Lydia and Stiles' necks. Instantly, they found themselves in Stiles' mind.

Michael found himself strapped to a bed in what seemed to be a mental hospital. Scott and Lydia were nowhere to be seen. He had anticipated this. Without much effort, he snapped the restraints. 

"You know what I am then," Michael said. "And you're afraid. That's why you separated me from them. But it won't work. I see through your illusions."

He walked confidently through the door and into a room where there were bodies everywhere. He recognized several of them. They were friends he had made while he was gone, including his best friend.

"Really?" said Michael. "That's the best you can do? I really expected more from a nogitsune spirit. But I guess I can't be too upset. Like I said, illusions are useless against me. This. Isn't. Real."

The scene around Michael shattered and he found himself standing in a large white room with Stiles and the nogitsune playing go atop the nemeton. He knew he'd need to wait for Scott and Lydia to arrive. He knew it would be harder for them to break through, but he knew they could do it. A few minutes later, They both appeared and joined him. They ran towards Stiles and shouted to him, but it was to no avail.

"We're at the core of his mind, but the nogitsune has control," said Michael. "We have to break it somehow."

The nogitsune turned to look at them and then they heard it speak.

"You can't save him, boy. He can't face his shadow," it said.

"He's stronger than you think," Michael will replied.

"We shall see," the nogitsune said as it laughed and turned back to the game. "But you can't even break my control over him. So he won't have the chance."

"He's right, as much as I hate to admit it," said Michael. "We have to break through."

"Yeah, but how?" asked Scott.

"Stiles is a part of your pack," said Lydia suddenly.

"What? What do you mean?" asked Scott.

"He's human, but he's a part of your pack, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course!"

"So how do wolves signal their location to the rest of the pack?" asked Lydia smiling.

Michael smiled as Scott pieced everything together finally, shifting and turning to face the nogitsune again.

"They howl," said Scott.

With that, Scott let out the loudest and most powerful howl he ever had. The howl shook everything around them, rattling the go board. Stiles turned his head to face Scott, snapping out of the nogitsune's spell. His face showed recognition. His best friend had come for him. He looked back at the nogitsune. Stiles looked down at the go board and, with a determined look on his face, knocked all the pieces. The nogitsune let out a roar as Stiles freed himself from the nogitsune. The other three quickly found themselves back in reality. Scott retracted his claws and Michael let go of Lydia and Stiles' hands.

Stiles appeared unconscious and the room was in a frenzy. Peter pulled Lydia aside. As she muttered Malia's name to him, Stiles' eyes snapped open and he began to puke up an enormous amount of bandages. When he had finally finished, something began to rise from the bandages, taking form. Black shadowy wisps flew around the entity as it formed. Everyone stared in shock at it, but Michael visibly tensed as if preparing for combat. He drew his gun in his right hand, but never raised it. The bandages formed what appeared to be the nogitsune and it moved towards them, but when Peter and Scott pinned it down, it was revealed to be Stiles. In the meantime, the other stiles, which was apparently the nogitsune, had made off with Lydia while they had been distracted. Michael cursed himself and holstered his gun. He turned back to look at Stiles. He was worried about those black wisps. He knew what it meant. The time would soon come for Stiles to face his shadow.

Melissa and Scott saw to Stiles while the others dispersed to search for Lydia. Stiles had asked Noshiko to come so that she could test him to be sure that he was real. She came without hesitation and the oni performed the test. He passed.

"So, I'm me?" Stiles asked.

"Well, more you than nogitsune," she replied as she left.

Michael and Scott helped him back to his feet. Stiles looked at Michael.

"I'm still not sure why you're here," Stiles said. "You disappear for years and then suddenly reappear now? Why?"

"I will explain, Stiles, but I can't right now. Something bad is about to happen to you," Michael replied calmly.

"Bad? I've been possessed by a demon fox and forced to do all kind of unspeakable evil while being lead to believe I was losing my mind. How much worse could it get?"

Michael sighed as he saw the black swirls shooting from behind Stiles take form.

"I think you're about to find out," said Michael. "And he's got the answer for you."

Stiles was confused, but turned around to see a replica of himself standing before him. The only difference was that this one seemed darker and more menacing somehow. Stiles shuffled backwards and Scott just stared at it.

"What the hell is that?!" exclaimed Stiles.

When the replica spoke, it's voice sounded exactly like Stiles' voice, but warped somehow.

"You don't recognize me?" asked the replica, sounding mockingly hurt. "I'm you!"

"What? That's not possible."

"Oh, don't try to deny it. We both know how much you've hated and resented Scott since he became a werewolf. All that strength and speed. The super senses. And he always gets the girl. First Allison and now Kira. But what about us? Nothing. We get NOTHING."

The color drained from Stiles' already pale face and he said, "No... Stop it..."

"And don't get me started on our dad," the replica continued. "How many times has he been fired or almost fired because of us? I mean, it's our fault he suffers so much. We drove him to drink, you know. And we killed our mom, forcing our dad to deal with us alone. Wow, we're pretty terrible."

Scott looked at Stiles and realized he was breathing heavily, almost like he was about to have a panic attack. He placed a strong hand on Stiles' shoulder.

"See? We always need Scott to save us. We're so weak. Scott always has to come to our rescue. He gets everything and we get nothing. We get to be his damsel in distress. Oh, save us, Scott! What ever will we do without you," mocked the replica.

"What... What is this?" Scott asked.

"This is a shadow," replied Michael. "It is a physical manifestation of all of Stiles' darkness, negative thoughts, and everything he wants to keep hidden from the world. It's what the nogitsune latched onto inside of him."

"We've always wanted what Scott had. We're weak and powerless on our own, so we hide behind sarcasm and pretend to be fine. But it's not fine, is it? No. We resent everyone around us. We're not special."

"No," said Stiles shakily. "You're not..."

"No!" exclaimed Michael. "Don't say it, Stiles! Don't deny your shadow!"

"You're not me!" Stiles shouted.

"Shit," said Michael, realizing it was too late as he drew his sword.

The shadow smirked and the black swirls began to appear again. The shadow morphed into a black monstrous fox with nine tails. It laughed insanely as this happened.

"I am a shadow," it said. "The true self. I'll consume you and take your place in this world."

 Stiles collapsed to his knees and stared with wide eyes at the shadow. For once, Stiles was at a loss for words. Michael moved in front of him.

"Scott," said Michael. "We have to defend him. A shadow can be defeated, but it will be difficult. Now that he's denied it, it's gone fully berserk."

"I can't believe that's really him," said Scott, still sound a little shocked.

"Scott!' exclaimed Michael. "It is a PART of him. It is not him. We all carry darkness, negativity, guilt, and other such things inside of us. He's your best friend and you should know that this isn't really him.

Scott looked at the floor, embarrassed that he had even thought that. He shifted, his claws emerging and his eyes glowing a crimson red, and said, "Yeah! I know Stiles. It may be part of him, but it's not him as a whole. I won't let it hurt him."

With that, Scott let out a howl and he and Michael charged the shadow. Michael drew his gun as they approached, raising it up, but one of the shadows tails shot out and knocked it from his hand, sending it flying across the room.

"I can't have you using that," said that shadow, laughing.

Michael cursed himself for being careless and charged in with his sword. Scott moved in to use his claws on the shadow, but was smacked one of the tails. Instead of letting it send him flying, Scott suck his claws deep into the tail. The shadow screamed in pain and flailed its tails. Eventually, it flung Scott off, but Michael had found his opening. He rushed forward and dealt a series of five sword strike to the body of shadow before getting knocked back by the tails. The shadow looked to be in a rage and it was preparing to attack again.

"Scott, Stiles, this is why I'm here," said Michael as they regrouped around Stiles. "This is what I came to help with. It's the way it works."

"You know this would happen?" asked Scott.

"Yes," replied Michael. "Not exactly when it would happen, but I knew it was coming. I'll explain more when we're not in grave danger."

Michael turned to look at Stiles and said, "But, Stiles, this won't end until you can accept your shadow. I know it's hard. But I know you. You're strong and I believe in you."

"Me, too," said Scott, smiling brightly at the still shaken Stiles.

The two turned to face the shadow again and Stiles found himself regaining his composure somewhat, but he still wasn't ready to accept that that thing could be him. It just couldn't be. Stiles watched as the other two engaged the shadow once again. One of the tails shot directly for Stiles. Stiles couldn't move. In an instant, faster than Stiles could even process, Scott was there. He took the blow for Stiles and was sent flying into a wall where he crumpled. Michael stayed fighting, but he was on the defensive. He was skilled, but his opponent had nine tails. He couldn't keep up and was eventually flung across the room where he slammed into a wall and collapsed. The shadow looked at Stiles and with an evil smirk, moved for his friends. It was going to kill them. That's when it clicked for Stiles. He stood up.

"Stop," Stiles said forcefully.

The shadow looked at him and said, "Are you serious? Who are you to give me a command?"

Stiles shook his head and said, "I won't let you hurt them anymore. I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me. I won't just stand idly by anymore."

Stiles looked at the shadow directly with a fiery determination in his eyes and said, "Yeah, I know you're part of me. I never wanted to admit it, but yeah. You are me. I've had those thoughts before and I do blame myself for a lot for the things you said. There was a time where I was jealous of Scott, but, you know what, he's my best friend and I'm happy that he's happy."

The shadow had stopped moving. It was staring solely at Stiles as Michael and Scott seemed to be recovering. The shadow seemed to be shrinking, reverting back to a clone of Stiles again.

"But, you know what?" continued Stiles, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "I realized something. I've got other things that balance out all those thoughts and feelings and make it better. I've also got some amazing friends. You don't. You only have my negative thoughts and aspects. So, what do you say? Why don't you become one with me? It'll make it better. I promise. After all, you are me. You'd be at home."

There were tears rolling down the shadows face as it nodded. Stiles extended his hand to the shadow and they shook hands. The shadow smiled as it faded away and a soft blue light surrounded them. In a moment, it faded and the shadow was gone. Stiles felt a surge of power and a calm pass over him that he hasn't felt in quite some time, but it faded shortly. Michael and Scott got up and joined Stiles. Scott practically sprinted over to him while Michael retrieved his gun on the way.

"Are you okay, Stiles?" Scott asked, his concern obvious.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," replied Stiles.

"You did it, Stiles," said Michael with a smile. "You faced your shadow and won."

"Yeah, but I still have no idea what happened," said Stiles. "What's going on, Michael? Why are you really here?"

"It's time I explained everything to you two," said Michael. "I owe you that much."

The three of them moved to a nearby table. Scott and Stiles sat on one side while Michael sat on the other. Michael let out a deep breath.

"I guess I should start from the beginning," said Michael.

"That's usually the best place to start," said Stiles.

"Alright, well, I should start with explaining why I left. That answer is probably something you won't expect," said Michael, now looking at Stiles. "I didn't leave of my own accord. I was told to leave by your mom, Stiles."

Both Stiles' and Scott's faces showed apparent confusion, but Stiles seemed more affected by that statement.

"What do you mean?" asked Stiles.

"She told me to leave. She said to seek out the organization known as The Shadow Operatives and train. To prepare myself for what was coming," replied Michael.

"How could she have possibly known anything like that? And when did she tell you this?" asked Stiles, still not able to process this information.

"She was a persona user. But hers was different and unique. It wasn't really a combat oriented persona. Her persona was named Juno, the goddess of motherhood. It allowed her to analyze things, people, and events as well as see the future of those connected to her. The last vision that Juno showed her was a terrible calamity befalling you, Stiles, and that it would be up to Scott and I to guide you through it safely. She told me only a week before she died while we were visiting her one night. You and Scott had went to get something from the vending machine. That's when she finally told me."

"What's a persona?" asked Scott.

"It's a manifestation of one's personality and soul. It can only be successfully obtained by confronting your shadow and accepting it as a part of you, like Stiles did. Everyone's personas are unique and different. Also, not everyone can summon a persona. A person must have what is called The Potential. Basically, it just means you have the potential the develop a persona. A lot of times it emerges due to extreme circumstances or emotional trauma, but sometimes people can have it naturally or early. That was the case with me. My potential became apparent at an early age, far younger than normal. Your mom knew both of us had the Potential, but she also knew that Stiles wouldn't be able to realize it until later. So she sent me to The Shadow Operatives so that I would be ready when the time came," said Michael.

"So, my mom asked you to leave us, your best friends, in order to protect me?" asked Stiles.

Michael looked down, his eyes a little watery, but not tearing up really, and said, "Yeah. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I knew I had to. My choices were to stay and risk your destruction or leave and ensure your safety. In the end, I had no choice. I would never let something like that happen to either of you."

"Well, a lot of bad stuff did happen to us, but you never came then," retorted Stiles.

"I know. It just wasn't time. I knew you two would make it through with the help of your new friends. I always kept an eye on things in Beacon Hills. If things ever got too bad, I'd have returned."

"I guess that makes sense, but what have you been doing for 7 years? That's a long time to be away," said Scott.

"Yeah, it is," said Michael. "Allow me to explain. Shortly after Stiles' mom's funeral, my parents arranged a 'transfer' of their jobs to give a cover for my leaving. They knew what was at stake and what I was doing. The Shadow Operatives came and took me to their headquarters where I was fully briefed on their organization, personas, the supernatural, and other important matters. What came next was hell. I needed to have my persona, but that meant drawing out my shadow. To do that, they put me into dangerous and traumatizing situations. They were impressed at my mental resilience even at such a young age. Eventually, though, it came. It came after they generated a scene where you and Stiles were killed because I couldn't do anything to stop it. With that, my shadow finally appeared and threw everything in my face. Everything I felt guilty about. Leaving the two of you, being weak, my own personal shortcomings, everything. I did exactly what Stiles did. I denied it. I couldn't handle it or accept it and that made it go berserk."

"How'd you fight it then if you were alone?" asked Stiles.

"I didn't," Michael replied simply, a small smile creeping onto his face as if recalling a happy moment. "My friends came for me. In my short time there, I had made two good friends. They were both older than me by a few years, but they barged into the isolation room and came to my defense. The higher ups were not happy, but the two of them protected me until I was able to calm myself long enough to accept my shadow. Honestly, if it wasn't for them, I would have died."

"The organization would have let that happen?" asked Scott, horrified.

"Probably. They were a new organization and desperate for persona users. They would do whatever was necessary," said Michael. "Either way, I lived. From that day on, I have been fighting the supernatural and the non-supernatural and training incessantly with my two friends, Arthur and Elizabeth. I became a master of swords and blades. Arthur became a master of guns and explosives. Elizabeth became a master archer. Together, we honed our skills and learned how to work together as a team. Our work and talent did not go unnoticed. We were always sent together on missions."

"So you've been fighting since you were ten years old?"

"Yeah, more or less."

"I guess that explains why you slept with your sword and gun."

Michael shrugged, a sad expression passing across his face for just a moment before he said, "Force of habit. I went through a lot during those seven years."

Scott gave Michael a sympathetic look, but Michael shook his head.

"There's not need to feel sorry for me, Scott," he said. "But there is more. The three of us weren't happy with everything the organization did. So we changed it. We rose to the top and eventually reached a point where they were forced to acknowledge us. We took over the Shadow Operatives and reorganized and restructured it. Each of us took a section of it to watch over, dividing the power and everything between the three of us."

Michael stood up and turned around, revealing the symbol on the back of his shirt. He gestured towards it.

"This is the new emblem that we designed," said Michael. "It represents the three of us working both autonomously and together. Arthur, the Tiger. Elizabeth, the Phoenix. Michael, the Dragon. Each of us wears it in some way at all times regardless of our outfits. It represents the organization and our unity."

"That's pretty cool," said Scott. "It kind of sounds like a pack."

"A bit. We did fight for years side by side. I guess you could view us as the alphas or leaders of the Shadow Operatives."

"So, I have a question," said Stiles. "If I accepted my shadow, how do I summon a persona? I take it I do have one now."

"Yeah, you do," said Michael. "It was that surge of power that you felt when your shadow joined with you. As for when you'll summon it, well, you'll just know when the time comes. That sounds vague, I know, but you will."

Stiles nodded, his face still a bit tense. He said, "I know you left for good reasons, but we really missed you, you know? You were close to us."

"I know. I'm sorry. I hope you believe me when I say I always wanted to come back. I never wanted to leave the two of you or Beacon Hills," said Michael, his sadness apparent. "But I had to. To protect you."

Stiles's expression finally softened and he smiled at his old friend.

"It's good to have you back, man," said Stiles.

Michael smiled back and said, "Thanks. I've really missed you guys."

"Will you stay now?" asked Scott.

"Yeah, I will. I'm going to remain here. I already discussed it with the others and they whole-heartedly approved. They were aware of my situation and said to let them know if I ever needed help. I'll be conducting all of my Shadow Operatives duties from Beacon Hills. And I should be able to re-enroll at Beacon Hills High. It'll be nice to have a normal experience for once."

"I don't know if anything around this town is ever normal, dude," said Stiles.

Michael laughed and replied, "That's certainly true."

""It'll be morning in a few hours," said Scott. "We should all get some rest."

"Yeah," agreed Michael. "We could all use some. One thing's for certain. This is far from over."

With that, the three went to bed. Scott let Stiles sleep in his bed while he watched over him from his chair. Michael went back to sleep on the couch. The next morning, Scott took Stiles to see his father. Michael said that he had to take care of something and to let him know if anything happened. Michael climbed in his car and drove towards the outskirts of Beacon Hills. He made a phone call on the way.

"It's Michael," he said. "Stiles was able to face his shadow, but I'll need equipment. It's time to take on the nogitsune. I'll be setting up base here after this incident has been resolved."

"I'm almost there. We should arrive at the same time," said Arthur. "You sure about this?"

"Yeah. I am going to return here. They'll need my help in the times to come. I'll still handle the Shadow Operatives, but I will do it from here."

"Don't worry, we understand. We just wanted to be sure."

"Yeah. I won't lose touch with either of you either. You two are my best friends. It's just time to come home and rebuild what I lost here."

"You'll do just fine. They're lucky to have you."

"Thanks. See you soon."

Michael hung up the phone and in a few minutes, he was at the edge of town. Shortly after, a black truck appeared and Arthur climbed out. Michael smiled at him and joined him at the truck. They transferred numerous silver suitcases and boxes of various sizes to Michael's car. Finally, Arthur handed him a small silver briefcase. Michael opened it and saw a silver gun, identical to his own. He closed it again.

"I'll give it to Stiles when the time is right," Michael said.

"I know you will," said Arthur. "Good luck, man. Let us know if you ever need help. We'll be here in an instant."

"I know. Thanks."

They gave each other a brief hug before finally going their separate ways. Michael felt a twang of sadness at his friend's departure, but he knew it wouldn't be the last time he'd see him. As he was driving, he got a call from Scott. They'd found Lydia. Michael placed the silver briefcase on the passenger seat and drove quickly to where Scott had told him to meet them. When he arrived, the others were already there. He quickly holstered the second gun to his right leg and joined them. Scott and Stiles ran to find Lydia while the others including Michael faced off against Noshiko and her oni. They were surprised when the nogitsune appeared and the oni fell under his control. Combat quickly ensued as the nogitsune smirked in the background.

The oni were skilled enough to keep Michael busy. He wasn't able to draw his gun as he was never given the chance. Michael spared a glance toward Isaac and saw that he was being mercilessly sliced. That look cost him as one of the oni kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying backwards, landing not far from Allison. Allison drew her final arrow. It was her silver arrow. She lined up her shot as Scott, Stiles, and Lydia finally returned to the surface. Michael had a bad feeling and noticed one of the other oni moving towards Allison as she was aiming. He quickly grabbed the gun off his leg and threw it at Stiles.

"Stiles!" shouted Michael. "Catch! It's time!"

Stiles caught the gun in his hand and noticed the same thing Michael had noticed. The oni was moving towards Allison. It was just like Michael had said. Stiles suddenly knew what to do and why he'd never seen Michael fire his gun. Stiles stepped forward a bit more and raised the silver gun to his head, placing his finger on the trigger. Scott saw this and started to freak out.

"Stiles!" Scott shouted. "What're you doing!?"

He moved to grab Stiles' arm, but Stiles pulled away and said, "No, it's okay, Scott. You'll see."

Scott couldn't see how this was okay. His best friend who he thought he had saved was about to shoot himself in the head. To say the least, Scott was freaking out. Just then, Allison let loose her final arrow, striking the oni. The oni died with a loud screech, which drew Scott's attention for a moment. That's when he saw the oni lunging its sword towards Allison.

"Protect her!" shouted Stiles.

Just then, Scott heard the sound of a gunshot right next to his him. He whirled around to see the silver gun smoking in Stiles' hand, but Stiles was still standing and there was no bullet wound. Instead, there was a pale blue light swirling around Stiles. What really surprised Scott was what was floating behind Stiles. There was a large angel with lengthy brown hair, clad in golden armor and equipped with a sword and shield. Its snow white wings fully outstretched. It was pointing its sword towards Allison. Scott whirled around to see the oni's blade had connected with some sort of translucent barrier that had appeared around Allison. Allison's eyes were wide with shock. She had narrowly avoided death and she had no idea how. The oni backed away from Allison.

"Two of you?!" shouted the nogitsune from its vantage point. "He managed to accept his shadow? Impossible."

"Yes, he did, just as I told you he would," said Michael as he stood up and drew his own silver gun. "And now it's time I brought my persona on to the battlefield."

Michael placed the gun against his head and pulled the trigger without so much as a second thought.

"Come, Skeith!" Michael declared.

The same blue light encircled him as it had with Stiles. A strange entity appeared behind Michael. It looked like a reaper, but it didn't have a black cloak, hood, or cape. It was spindly and black with golden highlights along its fingers, chest, and shoulder pieces. It didn't appear to have much of a face outside of its two glowing red eyes. It wielded a black and gold scythe the was nearly the same size as the creature itself.

"Skeith, Heaven's Wheel!" Michael called out.

The persona immediately moved, its scythe glowing a brilliant gold and red. The persona moved into the center of the oni and spun its scythe in a circle, creating a golden circle as it moved. The oni quickly faded into black smoke before the attack could hit them. The nogitsune had already escaped. One thing was clear. It feared the persona users and now it was clear why he did. They both possessed incredible power. Skeith faded from existence as Michael dismissed him. Michael walked over to Stiles whose own persona had already vanished.

"How was it?" asked Michael.

"It was incredible," said Stiles. "I just knew what to do and I felt the strength of my persona. It protected Allison just like I told it to."

"Yeah. It looks like your persona is Gabriel of the Judgement arcana. I'm impressed. He's pretty powerful, skilled in both offense and defense. He suits you."

Michael turned to Scott and said, "I'm sorry for worrying you with Stiles there. That's just how the evokers work. You shoot yourself in the head and it summons your persona. A bit morbid, but it's how it works."

"So that's what this is called," said Stiles, holding out his silver gun. "I always thought it was just a fancy gun."

"Same here," said Scott. "That's why I was freaking out."

"The gun can't do any physical harm. It only aids in summoning one's persona, I promise," said Michael.

"Good to know," said Scott.

Just then a disembodied voice resounded though the area, confusing everyone. They soon realized it was actually in their heads.

"Skeith!" exclaimed the voice. "I finished analyzing the data on Stiles!"

"DarkGhost?" said Michael. "That's great."

"You had me analyzed?" asked Stiles, not looking happy.

"Yeah, we wanted to assess your persona," replied Michael. "DarkGhost can scan and analyze people and their personas at long range. As well as other things."

"Why did he call you Skeith?" asked Scott.

"It's my codename," answered Michael. "We all choose one for use within the organization. Mine simply happened to be the same as my persona's name."

"Are you done, Skeith? I really need to tell you this," said DarkGhost, sounding both excited and anxious.

"Go ahead, DarkGhost," said Michael. "What did you find?"

"You're not going to believe this, man. He's not the Judgement arcana."

Michael's face showed genuine confusion. Scott and Stiles looked at him, trying to figure out why that information seemed to baffle him.

"But that's not possible," said Michael. "We saw Gabriel of the Judgement arcana."

"Skeith," said DarkGhost, sounding a bit serious. "You should know why. There is only one exception to the normal rules."

"The wild card," said Michael. "The Fool arcana. Are you seriously telling me that's what this is?"

"Yes, I am. He is registering as The Fool on my scans and my readings match that of the last known wild card persona user."

"Thanks, DarkGhost. Send the data report to me. I'll let you know if we need anything else."

"Got it. It's on the way. And, Skeith, good luck out there."

The voice vanished after that. Everyone was staring at Michael now, looking for an explanation.

"Most people can only summon only one persona," Michael began. "However, in rare cases, some people are able to summon multiple personas.  They are what is known as the wild card. Their identifiable arcana is The Fool. We assume this is because the Fool represents unlimited potential in the tarot deck. As you may have also guessed, those with the Fool arcana are also incredibly powerful. Stiles, you will become an exceptional persona user."

"That's a bit overwhelming," said Stiles. "Are you sure?"

"DarkGhost is never wrong," replied Michael. "We're certain. You'll learn more about this as we go, but for now, we really need to handle the nogitsune."

"Definitely," said Scott.

Just then, Stiles grew paler than he already was and collapsed. Scott quickly caught him, a panicked look on his face as black veins ran down his hand that touched Stiles' skin. He didn't remove it though and allowed himself to pull as much of Stiles' pain as he could.

"He's still in pain then," said Michael. "From the looks of it, this is likely because he's connected to the nogitsune still. They're separated, but still tethered. The nogitsune is sapping his strength and summoning his persona for the first time drained him even further."

"Will he be okay?" asked Scott, not taking his eyes of Stiles as he continued to draw out Stiles' pain.

"I don't know," said Michael. "That depends on a lot of things, including Stiles himself."

As Michael said that, Stiles' eyes fluttered opened and he looked dazed and disoriented. Scott quickly pulled him in for a hug. 

"You had me worried there," said Scott.

"I... Wha... I'm sorry, Scott," said Stiles, finally returning the embrace. "I could feel you though. Feel you you taking my pain. It woke me up finally."

"You're going to be okay, Stiles. I promise"

Stiles just nodded as Scott helped him stand. The group reunited and determined that they needed to deal with the nogitsune immediately.

"Wait," said Allison. "There's something I realized. I confirmed it during that fight."

"What is it?" asked Scott.

"Do you remember my last arrow? The one that killed the oni?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, it wasn't a normal arrow. It was a silver arrow. Before you called me, my dad let me undergo the rite of passage for the Argents, making a silver bullet. I made an arrowhead because I use a bow."

"You're saying the silver killed the oni?" asked Chris.

"I think so. I had thought it might, which I why I made five of them," said Allison. "One for each oni."

Chris smiled and said, "You really were ready to graduate."

Allison smiled at her father and hugged him. After Noshiko told them about the nemeton's ability to seal the nogitsune, the pack settled on a plan. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Kira, and Michael would go to the school in search of the nogitsune. Isaac, Chris, and Allison would go to retrieve the silver arrowheads and ask Deaton about a way to use the nemeton again. The two teams split up. Michael gave Stiles a proper holster for his evoker on the way so that he didn't have to carry it in his hand. Stiles quickly strapped it to his right hip. Scott texted Derek the plan on the way. Without further delay, they departed for the school.

Stiles was still unsteady as he climbed out of the jeep and Lydia had to catch him, but he quickly recovered. They walked to the entrance of the school where Stiles stopped them.

"Guys, we have to stop it no matter what," said Stiles. "If that means killing me, you have to do it. Stick to the plan."

"The plan is to save you," replied Scott. "It's the plan I'm going with."

Stiles didn't bother arguing further and they stepped through the double doors only to find themselves in a snowy Japanese garden. Michael felt something was missing. He felt lighter. He knew what it was and reached for his evoker. It was gone.

"Shit," said Michael. "My evoker's gone."

"So is mine," said Stiles.

A second later, the nogitsune and the oni appeared in front of them. The nogitsune taunted Stiles and the others by saying that he had captured all the territories on the board and that those close to them were in danger. He told Stiles that the only way for him to win would be to commit seppuku. Kira and Scott began to fight the oni while Lydia held a weak Stiles. Michael was thinking. Kira's sword was knocked from her hands, landing near Stiles. When Stiles looked down at the sword, he realized that there was a book buried in the snow. It was a school textbook. Stiles thought for a second, the pieces finally coming together in his mind.

"This isn't real," said Stiles. "It's an illusion."

"What?" said Michael. "But if it was an illusion I should have..."

Michael stopped, shaking his head as it finally clicked for him as well. Why would his evoker have suddenly vanished? Why hadn't he noticed sooner?

"I see," said Michael. "The nogitsune's power is so strong it finally overwhelmed my senses and mental defenses. That's impressive in its own right."

"Well, if it's not real, how do we get out of it?" asked Scott, still fending off the oni.

"We need to shatter the illusion somehow," replied Michael. "Bring light to the darkness."

Michael's eyes grew wide with realization and he turned to face Stiles.

"Stiles," he said. "You can do this. You're the wild card. You have unimaginable potential. Summon a persona."

"How?" asked Stiles. "I don't have my evoker."

"There is another way. Some people are able to summon through sheer force of will. I think you can do it."

"I'm not sure I'm strong enough."

"Stiles, believe in yourself.  A persona user's power, especially a wild card user, is amplified exponentially by the bonds with other. So call on the strength of your friends and family. All of your memories with them. Your bonds. Feel their strength and then reach deep into your soul. Call forth The Wold arcana."

"You have no moves left Stiles," taunted the nogitsune. "You can't win. You can't escape."

Stiles closed his eyes, concentrating. It came easier than he thought. He could feel his friendships, his connections with everyone. He felt the parental love and concern of Melissa and his dad, Lydia's love and concern, Allison's strength determination, Derek's stalwartness and care, Kira's drive, Isaac's happiness to have friends and family, and, above all, he felt the depth and closeness of his bond with Scott. It emanated strength, loyalty, love, and concern, a true friendship. He felt those bonds fill him with energy. He no longer felt weak and he stood. He felt it. The World arcana persona sitting at the core of his soul. He opened his eyes and saw a blue tarot card floating in front of him. It bore the markings of The World arcana from the tarot deck. Michael stared in awe. He had never seen a World arcana person summoned before.

"No," said Stiles, staring straight at the nogitsune. "I have one move left. A divine move."

"Come, Izunagi No Okami!" exclaimed Stiles as he shattered the card with his hand.

As soon as he did, a brilliant blue light encircled him, but it was significantly brighter and stronger than when the normal personas had been summoned. A wind seemed to swirl around him as well. An enormous persona appeared behind Stiles. The persona was clad in a white trench coat with a red inner lining and what appeared to be a white suit with a golden tie. Its face and head were covered by a white helmet with two red slits for eye holes. It grasped an enormous white sword in its right hand with a golden ring that encircled the hilt of the blade.

"He did it!" exclaimed Kira.

"Yeah! I knew he could!" shouted Scott.

Scott and Kira moved back to be near the others. The nogitsune and the oni had stopped attacking. They were staring at Stiles' persona. Stiles looked at the nogitsune with calm confidence. He could still feel his friends even if some of them weren't there with him. They gave him strength.

"Alright," said Stiles. "Dispel the illusion. Myriad Truths!"

Izunagi No Okami responded immediately, spinning its sword vertically in a circle, creating a circle of golden light. Then it stabbed its sword through the circle. Thousands of arrows of light shot forth from the circle of golden light, piercing the oni, the nogitsune, and the entire area. The nogitsune let out a cry of pain, anger, and frustration. The area was engulfed in a blinding light and the next thing the group knew, they were stumbling through a set of double doors inside the school. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Stiles and Michael confirmed that their evokers had reappeared and nodded at each other.

"We did it," said Scott. "We're safe."

As soon as he said that, Scott was sent flying across the hall, slamming into nearby lockers. Michael and Kira were both knocked down as well. The real nogitsune in Stiles' body had appeared. He started walking towards Stiles and Lydia who were clinging to each other as they backed away.

"This was my game. You think you can beat me at my own game?" the nogitsune said, its voice escalating with each new statement. "Divine move. DIVINE MOVE?! I AM A THOUSAND YEARS OLD! YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"

"But we can change you!" shouted Lydia.

"What?" replied the nogitsune.

"You forgot about the scroll," said Stiles.

The nogitsune's face showed fear as it finally realized what they meant and it said, "Change the host..."

"You can't be a fox and a wolf," said Stiles simply.

Scott had recovered and grabbed the nogitsune's arm. He sank his teeth into the arm as his eyes flashed a brilliant red. The nogitsune cried out in pain and Scott released him. A moment later, Kira impaled him on her sword. The nogitsune collapsed and a fly escaped the mouth of the body. It flew down the hallway where Isaac trapped it in the triskele box. The nogitsune's body shattered and faded from existence. It was over. They'd done it. Stiles finally collapsed once more from exhaustion. Lydia caught him this time. Scott took off his jacket and folded it into a pillow for Stiles. They laid him down on it. A minute or two passed before he woke up, but he was fine.

Everyone smiled happily, relieved that he was okay. That's when Lydia felt it. Rather, she heard it. Stiles knew that look and the two of them ran through the double doors of the school in time to see Aiden close his eyes for the last time as Ethan bent over his brother crying. Lydia's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in shock. She allowed herself to just fall into Stiles' arms. Stiles held her as he stared at the scene below, in shock himself. Scott and the others made it outside a moment later. They had saved Allison, but, in the end, they weren't able to save everyone. They later discovered that Aiden couldn't heal because of the effects of the wolfsbane that he received from the bullets he and Ethan took. The pack helped Ethan with Aiden's body. Ethan decided that it was time for him to leave. He couldn't stay there any longer, not after everything that had happened. Scott and Derek told him that they understood. For that night, Stiles and Michael crashed at Scott's house. The three of them passed out in Scott's room. Scott and Stiles shared his bed and Michael fell asleep in the chair. Melissa came home and found them all asleep in Scott's room. She smiled, remembering how they used to do this all the time when they were little kids. It really was good to have Michael back. She closed the door quietly.

The next day, Michael and Stiles went back to their own houses. Michael had secured a nice place not far from Scott and Stiles. He walked into his house and then downstairs into what should be a basement. He flipped some switches and everything sprang to life. The room was covered in computers, monitors, and metal. Michael walked to the main control panel in front of a hologram projector at the center of the area. He paced his hand on the console and it scanned his handprint, confirming that it was him. The computers sprang to life and data began flying across the various screens throughout the large room. The projector generated a map of Beacon Hills and its outlying areas. Michael was examining things when, suddenly, red lights started flashing and alarms began to sound. Michael looked over everything calmly as all of the screens filled with red rectangles that all said "WARNING" in bold white letters. Michael turned his attention to the hologram projector as red lights began to show up across the map.

"DATA ANALYSIS COMPLETE," said the computer voice loudly. "WARNING: MULTIPLE DARK HOUR ZONE GENERATORS DETECTED. THREAT LEVEL: 5 - CATASTROPHIC."

Michael examined the data points that were appearing on the map and the readout of data next to it. This was bad. The situation was definitely worse than he thought. There also seemed to be red blips spread throughout the California area in general, though the greatest concentration was in Beacon Hills. With a swipe of his hand, he silenced the alarms, though the lights and WARNING lights on the monitors continued to flash, giving the room and ominous red glow.

"Computer, prepare to broadcast an emergency message to all Shadow Operatives units and personnel flagged priority level 5," said Michael, pausing for a moment to allow the computer to comply with his request. "This is Dragon Division Leader Skeith. Effective immediately, the Shadow Operatives are now at Red Alert due to the presence of a Level Five Catastrophic threat. All units and personnel are to prepare for immediate combat. The situation is far more dire than we ever realized. Large numbers of Dark Hour zone generators have been detected across the California area with the greatest concentration in Beacon Hills. Dragon Division will take primary command of the Beacon Hills incident and we will be working with the pack of this city. If we hope to succeed, we will need their help. All other units are to stay ready for combat at the discretion of your Division Leaders. Protect the city. Defend the people. Stop the shadows. Do your duty. I wish you all good luck. Skeith out."  


With that, Michael terminated the transmission and fully cleared the alerts and warnings. He walked out of the room, stopping only for a moment to examine his armory of swords, knives, throwing stars, guns, bows, crossbows, and evokers. He pulled out his phone and called Scott. There was no time to lose. The next threat was already here and it was most likely going to be the toughest challenge the pack had ever faced.


End file.
